Improvement in fence-posts



z 7572 75% 7 /W A E. L. GILLHAM. Pence-Post.

No. 196,889. Patented Nov. 6,1877.

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ail 56w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERASTUS L. GILLHAM, or MERRITT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE-POSTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,889, dated November 6, 1877; application filed February 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERASTUS L. GILLHAM, of Merritt, in the county of Scott and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

which form a part of this specification, and in whichv Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 shows the top or cap piece detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to that class of fenceposts which are made of clay, terra-cotta, or other similar material; and its construction is as I shall now proceed more fully to describe.

The body of my improved fence-post, which in the drawings is designated by the letter A, I prefer to make cylindrical, this being in every respect the most convenient shape. It may be easily manufactured on an ordinary drain-pipe machine, which turns it out in the shape of an endless tube that, as it comes from the machine, is cut up into pieces of proper length. The sides of each post are provided with series of slots or perforations, into which the ends of the rails or boards of which the fence is built may be inserted. After thus finishing the bodies of the posts they are subjected to a baking process, by which they are thoroughly hardened and put in condition for use.

The top or cap piece B of my improved fence-post I make ina separate mold. It consists of a plate, b, the edge of which, when the cap-piece is in position upon the post, projects slightly beyond this. On its under side the disk I) has a round part, c, fitting into the opening of post A, as shown, thus serving to keep the cap-piece in position. v

If desirable, the cap-pieces may be secured upon the posts with cement; but this is not necessary.

The advantages of my improved fence-post are that, the body of the post being cylindrical, it may be manufactured by machinery in a continuous length, thus making the cost of its manufacture much less than that of simi lar posts now in use, which are generally made in one piece, and invariably molded singly in separate molds. e

The manufacture of thecap-piece is very simple and cheap, and the shape and construction of my improved post renders it more convenient for transportation than those of a similar character now in general use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States-- As an article of manufacture, a fence-post made of clay, and consisting of a hollow cylindrical body, A, of equal width throughout, and having slots at a and separate cap-piece B, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and specified.

,In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERASTUS L. GILLHAM.

Witnesses GEORGE It. HAWK, J AMES J. MoOLnuAN. 

